Community to come together to remember those lost in rail disaster
A community will today dedicate a new memorial to eleven passengers who were killed in a railway level crossing accident more than a half a century ago.
Organisers at Hixon near Stafford will come together at St Peter’s Church, in Church Lane, on Friday to dedicate a new stained glass window representing the strong connections between the community, the railway and the nearby RAF base.
It will be another lasting memorial in the village to the rash which happened on January 6, 1968 when the 11.30am British Rail express travelling from Manchester to Euston collided with a heavy transporter carrying a 120-ton electrical transformer over an automatic crossing in Hixon.
The train, running at 75mph, was carrying 300 passengers and as a result of the collision the train driver, the second man and a spare driver in the locomotive were killed as well as eight passengers.
Forty-four passengers and a restaurant car attendant were also injured, six of them seriously. The incident led to an inquiry which saw changes made to level crossings and the one at Hixon was later replaced by a bridge.
The service will begin at midday and will be followed by light refreshments at Hixon Memorial Hall.
